I’m on a constant quest to find the right product to solve my natural hair’s “shrinkage” problem.  And since I can’t use all of the products I receive, I recruited my friend Keisha to test drive Aveda’s Be Curly Curl Control gel.  
 
Keisha had been growing out her relaxer for about a year. Recently she took the plunge and had her hair cut into a chic, short-cropped natural style that when blown out reminds me of the Nola Darling character from Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It.”
Be Curly ($18) is supposed to define curls, reduce frizz, and boost shine. Keisha’s review? She …read more

I’m waiting for the magical product that will permanently moisturize and de-tangle my natural locks.  Fortunately to assist me in my quest for the perfect product, I have an opportunity to sample (yes, I’m talking freebies) lots of beauty and hair care products. Here are three products I recently discovered:
Yes to Carrots Hair and Scalp Mud Mask:  It takes me hours to comb through and re-twist my hair when I take it out. This super moisturizing hair and scalp mask contains carrot seed oil, carrot juice, pumpkin, sweet potato, and dead sea mud.  The product made it much easier to …read more

Shecky’s Girls Night Out came right on time.  When I received my overstocked goodie bag yesterday, I was psyched to find a bottle of Fanci-full Temporary Hair Color ($5.99; CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreen’s) in an appropriate shade (Black Radiance).  The gray hairs around my temples appear to be multiplying, and I need to cover them up before cashiers start calling me M’aam again. Since I’m not crazy about using a permanent dye,  I hope this “risk free hair color” will do the trick.
 
 
The instructions seem easy enough:  Fanci-full rinses in, shampoos out, and contains no ammonia or peroxide.  The enriched …read more

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week came to a close yesterday and I’m still trying to recover.  Despite being deprived of my usual beauty rest, the frenzied event is ultimately worth all the hustle and flow and something I look forward to twice a year. 
Earlier this week, I told you about some of the great swag I picked up (freebies alone make Fashion Week worthwhile).  And here’s the low-down on a couple more high-end beauty products I was treated to:
Morrocanoil Oil Treatment for All Hair Types, $41: I’ve wanted to try this hair treatment since I read about it Lucky Magazine (Hayden Panettiere swears by it). Now I’ve had …read more

A few months ago, I wrote about my lackluster experience with Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding and many Hot Mama Daily readers chimed in. Although some of you have achieved good results using the Curly Pudding at home, I think I will have to make an appointment for Miss Jessie’s Salon to get the professional results I desire.  

My friend Denise used to frequent Miss Jessie’s Salon in Brooklyn when it was called Curve Salon, and her hair always looked fab.  And when I look on the salon website’s before-and-after photos, I see the curly style I want; a style that …read more

I have some unbeweavable news.  For the Season 5 premiere of her talk show, Tyra Banks will shed her signature extensions and reveal her natural hair. That’s a bold move for the former supermodel whom I adore watching in all of her egomaniac glory on “Top Model,” and I can’t wait to see what her natural hair looks like.
 
Tyra has declared September 8th “Natural Real Hair Day” and invites all women of color (and all women really) to wear their own hair (no wigs or weaves please) on that day and beyond. The TV and fashion personality is getting a …read more

Contests and giveaways are a lot of fun aren’t they?  I enjoy hosting them almost as much as I enjoy winning them.  Hot Mama Daily’s latest giveaway was for a gift pack of Soft & Beautiful StyleProtect products including:

Soft & Beautiful StyleProtect Spritz 
Soft & Beautiful StyleProtect Hair Gloss
Soft & Beautiful StyleProtect Sculpting Gel
Soft & Beautiful StyleProtect Nighttime Dry Wrap Mousse 

For a chance to win, I asked Hot Mama Daily readers to tell me the woman of color they think has the healthiest, most stylish, and overall best hair?  Drum roll please. And the winner is: Tracey Byram, 49, of  Birmingham, AL.
 
 
Tracey, …read more

This was the summer of the short and shaved haircut.  Rihanna, Solange, and Cassie did it.  And so did Michelle Obama…well, sort of.  Last month we discussed how Michelle’s new ‘do was actually her hair pinned up to look like a short haircut.  Ciara has taken the hair trickery one step further.  Instead of committing to chopping her locks, the R&B star has been snapped at several red carpet events wearing a wig. And she’s been working a couple different variations. 
Which style do you think is Hot?  Or do you think both wigs are Not?
Wig #1:  This pixie cut that’s long on one side …read more

As the seasons change, so does your hair.  In the fall, the air becomes drier and African-American women in particular need to make sure our hair maintains moisture.  Soft & Beautiful, an affordable beauty shelf staple for more than thirty years, can help with that.  
The brand’s new StyleProtect series is specially formulated with a triple hydration oil formula comprised of shea butter, olive oil and safflower to deliver moisture to hair while providing protection against split ends and damaged strands. 
From overnight care to everyday styling products, Soft & Beautiful has you covered.  One lucky Hot Mama Daily reader will win these StyleProtect …read more

This is an age-old query in the African-American community.  What is good hair? Usually, the phrase “good hair” is associated with long, straight strands. If you don’t have it naturally, that means you perm/relax your hair with harsh, damaging chemicals or weave it to get that “Hawaiin silky” look.  Throughout my adolescent, teen, and early adult life, I had my hair chemically straightened.
From a purely aesthetic perspective, there’s nothing wrong with permed hair. Relaxers offer Black women more hairstyle options. And I totally rocked my short, Halle Berry-inspired bob!  However, I’ve heard too many negative comments from Black women about …read more